Recent reader submissions and questions about submissions indicate it's time for a quick reminder about the tools the Times Opinion pages offer to help share your views on news and current events.

Please take advantage of them!

Letters

Letters must be 300 words or less, except those about candidates and issues in the 2014 elections. Those must be 200 words or less.

All letters must be the author's original work and cite sources when necessary. You must include your full name, city of residence and a daytime phone number. Your name and city appear when the letter is published.

Depending on mail volumes and space available, it can take from three days to a week between verifying a letter and getting it published.

Details on how and where to send your letter (and all submissions) are at the bottom of this print page or online at http://bit.ly/UMTtup.

A few other points about election-related letters:

• Letters that address a candidate's stance on an issue — or issues — get priority for publication.

• The deadlines: Letters about Aug. 12 primary races must arrive at the Times by 5 p.m. Aug. 6. The last of those will be printed Aug. 10. For the general election Nov. 4, letters must arrive at the Times by 5 p.m. Oct. 28. The last of those will be printed Nov. 2.

• We will allow readers one election-related letter every 30 days. Letters on other topics do not face a 30-day limit.

Finally, for print editions, we publish a representative sampling of the letters we receive. Also, we strive to put all letters online at www.sctimes.com/opinion.

Flash Points

Flash Points is the newest tool to express your opinion on current events quickly and concisely.

Upon confirming your name and city of residence, you sign up to receive emailed questions about breaking news from the Times Opinion Pages. Reply with an answer of 75 words or less, and it will be shared online, in print or both.

Questions are emailed as news warrants. Most are sent during weekday business hours. Responses are posted online as soon as possible. And, yes, the 75-word limit is mandatory.

Email me at rkrebs@stcloudtimes.com to sign up.

DiGi Hear Me

The DiGi Hear Me feature is a video form of a letter to the editor. Participants are featured in a video of up to two minutes in length opining about their issue of choice.

Assuming the video meets the same basic requirements as printed submissions, it will be posted at www.sctimes.com/opinion.

Participants are welcome to send their recordings in a MOV file or contact me, and I will help record your DiGi Hear Me video.

If you do create your own, please keep it focused on you. Including music, images, special effects and copyright material will likely mean we cannot post it.

Your Turns

Your Turns can be about 600 words and are meant to allow a writer to address an issue in greater depth than the other submission tools.

They also must be original work, cite sources when necessary and include your name and contact information.